


Seeking Solace

by antigrav_vector



Series: Like trying to stop an avalanche [8]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Pepper, Clint Barton/James "Bucky" Barnes - Freeform, Cuddles, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Natasha Romanov/Clint Barton - Freeform, Natasha Romanov/James "Bucky" Barnes - Freeform, Natasha Romanov/Steve Rogers - Freeform, OT6, Open Relationships, Past Steve Rogers/ Margaret "Peggy" Carter, Pepper Pov, Poly Relationships, Sam Finds Out, Steve Rogers/Clint Barton - Freeform, Tony Stark/Clint Barton - Freeform, Tony Stark/James "Bucky" Barnes - Freeform, Tony Stark/Natasha Romanov - Freeform, Tony Stark/Steve Rogers - Freeform, Virginia "Pepper" Potts/Clint Barton - Freeform, Virginia "Pepper" Potts/James "Bucky" Barnes - Freeform, Virginia "Pepper" Potts/Natasha Romanov, Virginia "Pepper" Potts/Steve Rogers, Virginia "Pepper" Potts/Tony Stark - Freeform, far more plot than intended, indirect discussion of PTSD and recovery, steve rogers/james "bucky" barnes - Freeform, tons of background or implied pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 13:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6986593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antigrav_vector/pseuds/antigrav_vector
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the mission in DC and all the things that went wrong, the team give each other a little bit of comfort to balance out the hurts and trauma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seeking Solace

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks, once again, to my lovely beta reader, [lil_1337](http://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337)

It had taken all her organizational prowess and JARVIS' to get the team packed for their trip out of town, after that press conference. Tony and Rhodey had done what they could to limit the backlash, but there was only so much that a public statement could do. Pepper had watched, caught somewhere between resignation and approval, as they had spoken and fielded the ridiculous questions that had followed. The server data that JARVIS had siphoned off SHIELD's systems during the fight, and hastily combed through for evidence that would help strengthen the team's position in the eyes of the media and the public, had been invaluable.

Afterward, once they had escaped the cameras long enough to return to the Tower, they had all looked on the verge of collapse, be it physical or mental. In some cases, both.

It took Steve and Natasha's combined efforts to get everyone aboard the quinjet and out of the city in the hour that their scheduled flight plans had allowed.

The process was all noise and chaos and color as the group of them either protested that they had no changes of clothes with them (Sam), tried to escape into various portions of the building to grab last minute items (Tony, Clint, and Steve), or argued over who would be flying the quinjet (Clint and Bucky). Thor and Bruce had arranged themselves on the sofas nearby to watch the drama unfold.

Pepper simultaneously wanted to pinch the bridge of her nose and laugh indulgently at the lot of them.

Through it all, though, she could almost feel the way Natasha's eyes kept lingering on Bucky, and had to agree with the sentiment. He was acting far too calm for them to believe him, even if the rest of the team did. Or, at least, pretended to. Pepper strongly suspected that the argument had been more for show and the feeling of normal, than anything else.

All it took to come to an agreement that something needed to be done, and that they should do it as soon as possible, was a brief exchanged glance with Natasha and a nod; they waited until the quinjet was in the air before breaking their silence on the issue.

The seven of them were crammed tightly together in the very small plane. Clint was flying, Sam sat beside him, and the rest of them had picked out what seats they could in the back. Pepper had let Steve claim the seat next to Bucky, who had chosen a corner to put his back to in a very defensive move. The others were ranged around the small space, and Tony had pulled a blanket out of the well stocked first aid kit to spread on the floor so he could lie down reasonably comfortably. He was working on some design on his tablet through Extremis, his eyes closed, and looked like his attention was fully engaged by the work.

Pepper knew better.

"James," Natasha prompted a few seconds later from her position sitting next to Pepper, "come here."

Bucky peeled open one eye and tried to stare her down. "Why?"

Steve must have noticed something in Natasha's expression or her tone of voice to mollify him, because he put up no objections, despite his very protective posture and positioning.

Sometimes Pepper really had to marvel at the level of implicit trust all of them had eventually found in one another. 

Without that, she knew, this weird open poly relationship would never even have gotten off the ground, much less lasted as long as it had. Nevermind that it had only existed in its current incarnation for a few weeks, at best. Hell, there was a better than even chance that the team wouldn't have lasted, either, without the relationship tying them together more tightly than any team could. Their personalities and abilities would have made it very easy for them to tear each other apart, had they been given the motivation to. Their enemies had heard the maxim 'divide and conquer', she was sure. The debacle with Hammer and Killian a couple of years ago had proven that amply, with the way they'd done all they could to drive a wedge between her and Tony. That no one had known Natasha was part of their relationship had probably been their saving grace, that stormy Christmas.

It was clear that Bucky could see the trust everyone had in her, too; it showed in the way he warily watched Natasha that he knew they all expected her to open some kind of important discussion.

No one else said a word. Sam, though he was an outsider, and a new one at that, was perceptive enough not to interfere, and the others all knew enough to keep their mouths shut, meantime. Natasha was _good_ at reading people, and at getting them to tell her what she wanted to know; the team could tell when she wanted them to stand back and let her work.

"Because I asked you to," Natasha replied calmly, after a beat, not giving away any of her thoughts or feelings.

Bucky resisted for another ten seconds or so, then gave in and stood, slowly taking the three short steps across the compartment, and carefully avoiding Tony. He stopped in front of her, Tony, Steve, and Sam at his back, and waited.

Giving him an approving nod, Natasha stood, too, and caught his eyes. She held them with a stare that brooked no refusal and demanded, "why are you punishing yourself?"

 _That_ question got Sam's attention instantly, though he still kept quiet. Pepper could see the man's focus sharpen and narrow down as he started putting the pieces together. She hid a small smile. Tony liked to surround himself with smart people. She did too. And, she fought an amused smile, it probably helped that Sam was also ridiculously handsome. Shaking off the thoughts, Pepper refocused on their most recent -- and possibly most traumatised -- member.

It took Bucky a while to reply. "I don't want to," he said, sounding unsure of himself, "but I can't stop myself."

Tony broke his silence, then. None of them were surprised to hear his voice ring out, quiet but with rock solid conviction. "You did nothing wrong."

Bucky looked like he wanted to throw a punch at the wall. One hard enough to break his fingers. "I fucking stabbed you, what kind of monster does that!"

Natasha huffed, and it seemed to imply Bucky was being stupid. "There was nothing you could have done to stop them, when you were taken. We all know that. What happened on the helicarrier, happened, and there are neither lasting injuries on Steve's nor recriminations on Tony's part," she stated calmly, only raising her voice just enough to be heard over the quinjet's engines. "You did all you could to destroy them after we got you free. Don't torment yourself with impossibilities."

Bucky looked positively anguished, now, despite the reassurances. "But Tony--"

" _Tony_ ," Tony interrupted him, speaking in the third person, "is fine, and doesn't regret anything. We got you back, and the immediate threat's been dealt with. That's the most important thing."

Steve nodded. Pepper was the one to speak, though, without getting out of her seat. "We don't expect you to be over this immediately. Or tomorrow, or even next week," she told him, adding her support to the others', and seeing Sam nod approvingly. "But we do expect you to believe us and trust us as you always have, and to talk to someone if you feel overwhelmed." She smiled. "Sam would probably be a good choice."

Overwhelmed by the emotion boiling inside him, Bucky's knees gave out and he slowly folded to the floor of the quinjet. Tony quickly sat up and wrapped his arms around Bucky, pulling him close and holding him there, offering comfort in the form of a warm familiar touch. Bucky didn't put up any kind of protest, instead turning his head so that he could tuck his forehead into the curve where Tony's neck met his shoulder, seeming to fold in on himself.

Pepper couldn't help but let herself enjoy the feeling of mingled pride and love that the sight engendered, despite the circumstances. Seeing Tony, of all people, offering emotional support was a rare thing, and needed to be acknowledged. If only in her thoughts.

Tony was quite happy to keep Bucky there, too, and Sam gave them an incredulous look. It was clear to her that he didn't know about their relationship. And if it hadn't been, that reaction would have said it all.

Sam let himself stare for a moment before he caught Pepper's attention. "So," he drawled, "someone want to fill me in? Stark told me he was dating you," Sam raised an eloquent eyebrow at Tony when he guided Bucky down to sprawl all over him on the floor of the quinjet, his head resting right over Tony's heart, "but something tells me there's a lot more to the story than that."

Natasha made an amused sound. Clint laughed outright. "Sharp as ever," the archer commented, and Pepper had to agree with his assessment. "Should we tell him, guys?" Clint suggested.

"Even if we didn't, he'd work it out for himself pretty quick after the first night," Steve pointed out.

Pepper ignored the byplay, and held Sam's eyes. "First, let me ask you something, Sam," she opened. When he nodded, she went on. "Ever met any polyamorous couples?"

Sam looked stunned. "Can't say that I have, but I'm familiar with the concept. Are you implying--"

Natasha smirked wickedly, exchanging a look with Steve. "She is."

"God _damn_ it." Sam groaned. "Rhodes was right; I'm going to regret this."

Tony started laughing. Bucky snorted, poked Tony in the ribs to stop the laughter. Once Tony had quieted a little, Clint quipped, "none of us have."

Pepper caught Natasha's eyes, and got a small quirk of her lover's lips in reply. It was one thing to watch your partner go out and risk his life with a team if you were in a monogamous relationship. That was incredibly difficult, and she knew exactly how it felt. It was another entirely if you knew the whole team was watching his back -- that they were watching each others' backs -- for the express purpose of having 'thank-fuck-we're-alive' sex at the end of their missions.

It was just one of their ways of seeking solace in the aftermath of the catastrophes that dogged their heels, but it was definitely their favourite, and she was definitely looking forward to the next couple of nights.


End file.
